This is a common question that I am asked and there have been a couple of updates recently that are worth noting. Here are the places that your ads can be displayed on:
Right Column
This is the original location for Facebook advertising. It’s where it all started. In the beginning, you could insert a small image, a headline and a brief excerpt of text. This is still an option, but certainly not as popular or as effective as the next option.
News Feed
The news feed is what Facebook users scroll through each day to get updates on their friends, family and business pages that they have liked. This is also prime real estate for advertisers to display single post ads, carousel ads and video ads. Advertisers also have control over displaying on desktops and/or mobile devices.
Partner Networks
Facebook partners are typically applications (apps) that enable Facebook ads to be displayed. For example, if you play free games like trivia and word puzzles or use lite versions of apps, you have been exposed to these types of ads.
Instagram
Since Instagram is owned by Facebook, it is a natural extension for the platform to extend ad placements for Advertisers to reach into this additional platform. This has been the latest update at Facebook and it is exciting for marketers to have access to two social media platforms in one place which reduces the learning curve and makes efficient use of our time.
Which One Is Best?
The ideal placement depends on the company. Some companies have an app to promote, so their strategy would be different than a company marketing products or services. Each audience is different as well. Most are smart phone based, while others may be more apt to use their tablets because they’re older and Facebook is easier to view on a larger screen.
Once you start advertising on Facebook, it’s important to analyze the reports to pick up on your audience’s habits and display your ads accordingly. Facebook is like constant market research for your company, and once you embrace it as a scientific tool to use for testing purposes to refine your message and ad placement, you’ll make bigger wins on your other marketing initiatives as well.
If you have any further questions about advertising on Facebook, feel free to contact me for a strategy session.
